[zip1234]

I'm not even sure that it is to the detriment of our domestic laborers. It certainly makes domestic manufacturing less competitive, especially the lowest skill/barrier to entry manufacturing. However, the US manufactures a LOT still, there are loads of reasonably well paying jobs for lower skill worker. I will say that housing and healthcare costs are high in the US but those are not things that are imported.

[sebmellen]

It also depends on what you think people want. Do they want a vast array of cheap consumer goods and entertainment, or do they want more affordable basics, like housing, cars, and healthcare?

If you go by PPP alone, the US is already in second place [0].

PPP is a horrible metric, but I’m not sure GDP per capita is any better.

[0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PP...

[getnormality]

More competitive US manufacturing wouldn't lead to more affordable basics, would it?